An international operation carried out by Sharjah Police resulted in 33 people from 12 countries being accused of involvement in cyber fraud, digital wallet theft, money laundering and violent assaults.
All 33 have been arrested. Police say they are members of an organised criminal network who targeted individuals and companies through cyber attacks, stolen data, cryptocurrency transactions and physical intimidation. The suspects were arrested in the UAE and abroad.
“What distinguished this gang was that it did not rely on a single type of criminal activity,” Lt Gen Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, commander-in-chief of Sharjah Police, told a press conference on Thursday.
The Sharjah Police Digital Crime Combat Department “uncovered the highly complex and concealed infrastructure of the organisation, whose members had made the deepest reaches of cyberspace a home for their activities”, he said.
The suspects are accused of hiding their activities behind sophisticated layers of encryption, moving through closed networks.
In public, they “cultivated an image of wealth, travelling between world capitals and displaying a lavish lifestyle that concealed a framework managed secretly, and they appeared to be legitimate businesspeople and investors, while their illegal activities extended across countries”.
“What has been achieved in this case is the result of integrated institutional work, continued security efforts, and close co-operation and co-ordination with federal, local and international authorities,” Lt Gen bin Amer said.
“These efforts led to the dismantling of these networks and groups, the arrest of their members and the thwarting of their plans.
“This confirms the efficiency of the UAE's national security system and its ability to handle various cases, regardless of their complexity or whether they extend beyond its geographical borders, and to keep pace with security challenges efficiently and competently.”
The security operation, called End of Battle, has also served to protect interests and assets, he added.
The suspects are accused of operating as a network of four separate gangs, each specialising in one area.
The first group carried out cyber attacks and stole customer information and databases, police said.
They added that the second gang specialised in laundering money through virtual assets and other financial channels, and the third used social engineering to manipulate victims and steal digital wallets.
Members of the fourth group are accused of violent assaults, allegedly targeting victims to force them to disclose passcodes to their digital wallets.
More than 30 companies and institutions were targeted by the criminal network, Lt Gen bin Amer said, with the operation securing assets of more than Dh65 billion. More than Dh200 million in cash was seized, with about 3,000 digital wallets audited and verified.
Anwar Al Harmoudi, Attorney General of Sharjah, said the investigation “revealed a cross-border criminal organisation with integrated criminal roles, beginning with seizing victims’ funds through fraud and hacking”.
The suspects are accused of converting stolen assets into property and other investments to give the appearance of legitimacy.
